Omar Navarro (politician)

Omar Navarro (born January 9, 1989) is a convicted felon and perennial candidate for the seat of California's 43rd congressional district against longtime Democratic congressperson Maxine Waters. Navarro, a Republican, has unsuccessfully run in 2016, 2018, and 2020. Navarro received national attention for his campaign running against Maxine Waters after raising over $1,000,000 during his 2018 campaign[1] and been featured on Fox News and One America News Network. In 2020, Navarro was defeated in the primary election, tallying 10.9% of the overall vote.[2] He has already registered to run for Waters' seat again for a fourth consecutive time in 2022. On July 29, 2020, Navarro announced via Twitter [3] that he will be challenging California Governor Gavin Newsom for re-election in 2022.

Omar Navarro
Omar Navarro in 2019
Personal details
Born (1989-01-09) January 9, 1989
Inglewood, California
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceTorrance, California
Known forCongressional Candidate, Traffic Commissioner
Websitehttp://OmarNavarro.com

Life

Early life

Navarro was born and raised in Inglewood, California. He has spent a significant portion of his life in Hawthorne and Torrance. Navarro's parents are Mexican[4] and Cuban immigrants.

Career

Navarro is a self-proclaimed small business owner.[5] Navarro has worked as an online marketer.[6]

Navarro served as volunteer traffic commissioner for Torrance, California but resigned in 2017 after the Torrance City Council began the process of removing him from his position.[7]

Electoral history

2014

Navarro ran for a seat on the City Council of Torrance in 2014. He finished 15th in a field of 15 candidates of an election where voters are requested to select up to four candidates. Navarro garnered 634 votes for 0.95% of the total.[8]

2016

After declaring for Congress, Navarro was defeated by Waters with 76.1% of the vote. The district includes parts of L.A., Torrance, Carson, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale and Lomita.[9][10][11][12]

2018

Navarro challenged Waters for her seat in 2018.[13] He was again defeated, with Waters receiving 77.7% of the vote to Navarro's 22.3%.[14][15][16][17][18]

Navarro's campaign raised more than $450,000 in the third quarter[4][19] and spent $11,845 on rental fees and meals at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes as well as multiple stays at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.[20][21]

2020

In the March 3, 2020 California primary, Navarro failed to qualify for the general election by finishing third with 10.9% of the total vote.[22] Waters received 78.1% of the vote with Republican Joe Collins finishing second with 11.1%. Navarro was unable to campaign at the time of the primary as he was incarcerated in San Francisco.

Endorsements

Navarro touted endorsements from Roger Stone, Michael Flynn,[23][24] Joe Arpaio,[25][26] Herman Cain, and Alex Jones, among others.[27][28] He met Flynn in person in February 2018, while in Washington to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference.[29]

Criminal history and controversies

Electronic tracking device

Navarro was convicted for attaching an electronic tracking device to his wife's car on February 14, 2016.[30][31][32] He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge in Orange County and was sentenced to a day in jail and 18 months’ probation in September 2016. He was also ordered to take an anger management course.[33] He was on probation until March 2018.[34] but violated it. It was revoked on April 12, 2017.[30]

Navarro was found guilty only two weeks before the 2016 election.[7] Before Navarro admitted to his own doing, he blamed the Orange County District Attorney's Office and the media for spreading fake news.[35]

Forged letter

Navarro released a fraudulent letter on his Twitter account that indicated Maxine Waters wanted to resettle tens of thousands of refugees into her LA district. The letter appeared to be printed on Waters’s House office stationery and looked as if written by her, bearing her signatures, alleging that she was in communication with CAIR-LA (a Los-Angeles-based chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations) and Hussam Ayloush (the executive director of CAIR-LA) to relocate refugees in Los Angeles. The letter contained several inaccuracies, including references to committees and subcommittees on which Waters does not serve, and listing an address for a district office that had been closed for nearly a decade.[36][37][38]

Navarro was interrogated by the FBI and Capitol Police regarding the matter. He told the Los Angeles Times that he did not fabricate the letter and claimed that he received it from a person whose name he would not reveal and with whom he had not been in touch since the time he received the letter.[39][40][41]

Restraining order, alleged stalking, and incarceration
December 2019 mugshot

On August 1, 2019, a restraining order was issued against Navarro for five years for his former girlfriend, conservative activist DeAnna Lorraine Tesoriero, who is publicly known as DeAnna Lorraine and who finished in 5th place and received 1.8% of the vote in California's 12th congressional district primary in 2020.[42][43][44] In the ruling, the judge cited Navarro's "harassing and stalking" behavior towards Tesoriero. This is Navarro's second restraining order against a former partner in two years as one was previously issued in 2017 for his ex-wife.[45]

On December 7, 2019, Navarro was attempting to meet up with Lorraine and charged with stalking, criminal threats, and attempted extortion (all felonies) and violating a restraining order (a misdemeanor).[46] On December 12, 2019, Navarro was remanded into custody on a further seven charges by San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Bolanos for being a threat to public safety, and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.[47] After being charged on a total of 11 counts, eight of which were felonies, on June 25, 2020 Navarro reached a plea agreement and plead guilty to one felony and was thus released after serving six months in San Francisco County Jail 5 in San Bruno, California.

References
  1. "NAVARRO, OMAR - Candidate overview". FEC.gov. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  2. "California Secretary of State 2020 Presidential Primary Election Results". www.sos.ca.gov. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  3. https://twitter.com/RealOmarNavarro/status/1288670243594727424?s=19
  4. "Republicans Are Raising Tons Of Money To Beat Maxine Waters Knowing They Can't Win". News One. 2018-10-16. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  5. Marshall, Josh (2018-08-30). "Meet Trump's California Mini-Me, Omar Navarro". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  6. "'Highly irregular': Candidate took a salary from campaign contributions while running against Maxine Waters". Daily Breeze. 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  7. Wire, Sarah D. "Why conservative headliners are teaming up to challenge Maxine Waters in Los Angeles". latimes.com. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  8. "2014 City of Torrance Councilmember Election Results". Smart Voter. 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
  9. "Maxine Waters pops up in national politics as 'symbol for both sides'". Daily Democrat. 2018-07-15. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  10. "Controversial ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio to speak at Trump National in Rancho Palos Verdes". Daily Breeze. 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  11. "RealClearPolitics - 2016 California House Election Results". www.realclearpolitics.com. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  12. Press, The Associated. "Michael Flynn campaigns for Republican candidate running against Maxine Waters". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  13. https://cavotes.org, Maplight & LWVCEF, http://maplight org &. "Omar Navarro | California State Library". Voter’s Edge California. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  14. "Rep. Maxine Waters wins California's 43rd Congressional District seat".
  15. "Elections 2018: Rep. Maxine Waters beats Omar Navarro again". Daily News. 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  16. "California Election Results: 43rd House District". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  17. "California's 43rd Congressional District election, 2018". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  18. "California Election Results 2018: Live Midterm Map by County & Analysis". www.politico.com. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  19. White, Jeremy B. "GOP long-shot rakes in cash from Maxine Waters haters". POLITICO. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  20. "California Republicans spent big bucks at Trump hotels, golf clubs and resorts". The Mercury News. 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  21. "Long-shot GOP hopefuls turned to Trump properties for fundraising boost".
  22. "California Secretary of State 2020 Presidential Primary Election Results". www.sos.ca.gov. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  23. "Flynn campaigns for GOP candidates while awaiting sentencing". PBS NewsHour. 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  24. Press, Associated. "Michael Flynn came to California to campaign for Maxine Waters' far-right challenger". latimes.com. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  25. FOX. "Arizona's Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio stumps for GOP congressional candidate Omar Navarro". KTTV. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  26. "Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio blasts Maxine Waters, California, predicts an upset". Press Enterprise. 2017-10-20. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  27. Raymond, Adam K. (2018-04-20). "Michael Flynn's Comeback Is On". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  28. "Michael Flynn 'putting his life back together' after guilty plea in Mueller probe". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  29. "Michael Flynn campaigning for California congressional candidate". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  30. "Mary Cummins, investigative reporter, writer, speaker, activist in Los Angeles, California: Omar Navarro running for 43rd District of Congress is a bankrupt, convicted criminal, domestic violence". Mary Cummins, investigative reporter, writer, speaker, activist in Los Angeles, California. 2018-02-18. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  31. Bowden, John (2018-03-16). "Flynn endorses Maxine Waters challenger". TheHill. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  32. Resnick, Gideon (2017-10-20). "An Utterly Strange, Motley Crew of Trumpkins Is Gunning to Defeat Maxine Waters". Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  33. "Congressional candidate Omar Navarro on probation for illegal use of tracking device – Daily Breeze". Daily Breeze. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  34. "Police records: Upland council candidate Rudy Zuñiga is Vagos outlaw motorcycle gang member". Daily Bulletin. 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  35. "Mike Flynn back in public eye to endorse dubious candidate". MSNBC.com. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  36. "The FBI Wants To Talk To Maxine Waters' GOP Opponent About This Fake Letter He Shared". Bustle. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  37. Jr, Stephen A. Crockett. "Auntie Maxine's GOP Opponent to Speak With FBI After Tweeting Most Racist Fake Letter Ever". The Root. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  38. "Who is behind the forged letter targeting Maxine Waters?". Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  39. Wire, Sarah D. "FBI to talk to Rep. Maxine Waters' opponent about tweeting of fake letter". latimes.com. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  40. Wire, Sarah D. "FBI meeting with GOP candidate who posted fake letter about Rep. Maxine Waters is postponed". latimes.com. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  41. Garcia, Eric; Garcia, Eric (2018-08-28). "FBI to Talk to Maxine Waters' Republican Opponent". Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  42. "California Primary Election Results: 12th House District". The New York Times. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  43. Airey, Jacob (2019-09-16). "Candidate DeAnna Lorraine Speaks Out On Trump, Conservative Values, And Running Against Nancy Pelosi". dailywire.com. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
  44. "Deanna for Congress". deannaforcongress.com. 2019-09-18. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
  45. Green, Nick (2019-08-03). "Judge issues restraining order against Southern California Republican congressional candidate Omar Navarro". mercurynews.com. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  46. A Perennial Congressional Candidate Beloved by Trump World Was Just Arrested on Stalking Charges, by Will Sommer, at The Daily Beast; published December 9, 2019; retrieved December 9, 2019
  47. SF judge holds GOP House candidate Omar Navarro on stalking charges, by Michael Barba, at The San Francisco Examiner; published December 12, 2019; retrieved December 13, 2019
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